The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-08-26
Prohibition in Maine,

Prohibition in Maine,
A TRAVELLER FINDS FROM EXPERIENCE
THAT 1T DOES NOT EXIST.
A correspondent of the Philadelphia
Press tells his experience in Maine in
the following letter:
1t seems rather stale to talk about
prohibition in Maine. That subject
gets so thoroughly overhauled during
every political campaign and is men,
toned so often that at first thought it
would seem hard to add anything to
the question. Yet, as a matter of fact,
Names prohibition in its practical,
everyday aspects, is not known to the
public to any extent. Ultra temperance
writers produce figures to show that
there are few if any saloons in Maine,
and that it is 80 hard to get a drink
here that drunkenness is practically an
unknown offense. On the other hand,
the anti-prohibitionists have produced
figures showing how many saloons
really are in existence, showing the
enormous increase in prescriptions for
spiritus .frumenti of late years and the
added number of criminals in the iails
and penitentiary. Both sides err, while
the latter are more nearly correct
1t is mot necessary TO 60 to drug
stores for drink, because there are
plenty of accessible bar rooms. 1t is
practically as easy to get drink in
Portland as il is in Philadelphia.
There are screens to the saloons, but
not screens that deceive the observer.
Those who know tell me what is true
here is true in all the large towns
and in nine-tenths of the villages
throughout the state, and l don't doubt
i... There was a prominent Newarker
in company with me when we arrived,
and he proposed, after supper, that we
test for ourselves the accuracy of the
repor.s we had so often heard. We
we're at leading hotel, where it is i'm
possible to evade the law openly, and
where spy could walk in and'see all
he wanted for detective purposes in
two minutes. Yet no precautions were
taken. We were directed to the bar
room at once and others were bound
thither without any directing. They
had been there before. The bar was
large aud spacious, we'll lighted and
with an exit directly to the leading
thoroughfare of the city. The bottles
were displayed with all the brillianoy
of the average saloon. A line of males
were in front of the bar disposing of
various beverages No questions were
asked and no suspicious were manifest
ed. You got what you asked for and
no bones were made about it. The
man in charge talked freely on the sub
ject. He said nothing could suit the
liquor men in Maine better than the
Prohibition law. They sold as openly
and freely as ever and had no license
to pay. They got all the benefit of
freedom, while the state got none of
the revenue from the restriction that
license always produces. Others said
the. same thing. You need not go a
block here in any direction before find
ing saloon. Yet a Prohibitionist,
whom I ran across this morning, near
ly told me l lied when l said liquor
was plentiful He said a man couldn't
buy drink here without resorting to
the basest subterfuge.
ran down to Old Orchard Beach
from here. 1t is the Ocean Grove of
Maine. People in New Jersey, who
told me 30 much before l left and
knew so little, said no matter what
tricks might be played In Portland and
the large cities, you couldn't get a
drink at Old Orchard. Well, as a
newspaper man, about the first thing
! investigated was that statement,
Walking into the largest and most con-
spicuous hotel an utter stranger,
asked one of the bell boys where the
bar-room was. He answered very
promptly: "Fourth door to your right,
sir, down that corridor" l went down
the corridor to the fourth door, opened
it and found myself in neat and
natty bar, with all the paraphernalia
of the profession in full bloom and the
regulation coterie of imbibers scat
tered around the room. That wasn't
all. In the few moments / was there,
drinks of the various sorts, lemonade
excepted, we're put on trays and con.
veyed publicly through the corridors
and up stairs to the rooms of guests
Old Orchard had all the liquor it needed
and it was bought right and left
without any concealment or apparent
evasion. In fact, my preconceived no
tions about prohibition in Maine were
annihilated inside of an hour. / never
have believed that prohibition could
prohibit, but l really thought there
was some pretense In that direction uI
here, but there isn't.
1t is mighty good thing the mana
gers of the Prohibition party never
bring any of their converts to Main,
and allow them to ask for the nearest
saloon. If they did they would los.
every mothers son of them. It's al
very nice to sit on a cushioned seat anC
hear rose -colored picture about thu
way prohibition prohibits in Maine
and how all that is needed to banisl
the bottle and the bar is to make tn,
Maine law national, but you musn'
take too much for granted in this age
1t is apt to give you worse than elec
trio shock when you happen to COM
to Maine and tumble against salool
in full blast before you have Learned
the name of the street you are on.
l. 8. NJ.